Hanging Rock development opponents stage protest picnic

About 100 people have attended a protest at Hanging Rock to show their opposition to commercial development at the famous tourist attraction.

The Macedon Ranges Shire decided last year to pursue plans to build a conference centre and accomodation in the East Paddock of Hanging Rock but community opposition to the proposal has been building ever since, with more than 5,000 people signing a petition against it.

Yesterday, at a protest picnic, opponents were given support from actress Anne-Louise Lambert, who starred as Miranda in the 1975 Peter Weir film Picnic at Hanging Rock.

"This place is precious as people have said and it needs to be treated with great respect," she said.

"It's an icon and the thing about icons is, they don't change, they stay the same."

Meanwhile, the Hanging Rock Action Group has applied to have the Rock listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Victoria's Planning Minister Matthew Guy has also agreed to climb the Rock next month.

The Hanging Rock Action Group's Luke Spielvogel says it will be lobbying the council to support the Heritage Victoria nomination.

"We'll be in discussion with council over the next few days about what's the most appropriate way to address it with council but we've got some ideas and we'd like to see a motion before council to support it but that really depends on the councillors themselves," he said.

"This is the way that at state level we recognise our heritage sites and I think that Hanging Rock through it's Indigenous heritage and also through the movie and through so many other aspects, it more than qualifies.

"So this is something that will bring some prestige to the Rock, it'll bring people to the Rock and it'll provide us a lot of opportunities."